At present when, for example, the earth wires in a wire harness of an automobile are to be connected to an earth stud or bolt provided on the vehicle body, the attachment operation is performed in a single act by integrating the terminals in advance; this avoids the need to attach the terminals of the wires individually, and thus improves working efficiency.
The terminal disclosed in Laid-Open Japanese Utility Model Sho 63-28536 is such a terminal. With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 of this specification, a terminal 21 comprises a barrel region 23 secured to the end of an electrical wire 22, and an eye-shaped connection region 25 at the front of the barrel region 23 and having opening in it a through hole 24 for a bolt. Two latch pieces 26 are provided projecting in symmetrical positions on the circumference of the connection region 25. Tongue-shaped latch-receiving parts 27 are formed around the circumferential edge of the connection region 25 rising above the upper surface of the connection region 25 in positions adjacent to the latch pieces 26, to the rear in the counterclockwise direction. Further, projections 28 are formed in the lower surface of the latch-receiving parts 27 by shearing, and lock holes 29 are provided in the latch pieces 26.
In order to integrate two of these identically shaped prior terminals 21, the connection region 25 of one terminal 21 is laid over the upper surface of the connection region 25 of the other terminal 21, concentrically but at a different angle and then, when the upper connecting region 25 is turned in the clockwise direction, its latch pieces 26 engage the companion latch-receiving parts 27 while the projection 28 on the lower terminal 21 fits into the companion lock hole 29 so that the two terminal pieces 21 and 21 are integrated as shown in FIG. 7.
However, the barrel regions of the terminals which have been integrated are splayed apart from each other by a predetermined separation angle .theta.a0, and if this separation angle .theta.a0 is large, an electrical wire has to be substantially bent in order that the two electrical wires are project in the same direction; this puts a substantial load on the bent electrical wire. The smaller the separation angle between the barrel regions, the better the arrangement since the possibility of undue stress or load is reduced, and the wire harness is more compact.
It will be noted that the separation angle .theta.a0 between the barrel regions is determined by the angle .theta.b0 produced by two lines connecting the centre C0 of the connection region with the projection and with the lock hole, and if this angle .theta.b0 is reduced, then the separation angle .theta.a0 between the barrel regions is reduced. In other words, if the distance H0 between the projection and the lock hole is reduced, then the angle .theta.b0 is reduced and the separation angle .theta.a0 can be reduced, but there are limits on reducing the distance H0 between the projection and lock hole because the projection and the lock hole are produced in a press, and they cannot be closer than the minimum separation of the press tool components.
On the other hand, if the connection region is enlarged and the distance from the centre to the projection and the lock hole is increased, then, although the limitation on the distance between the lock hole and the projection is the same, the separation angle .theta.a0 of the barrel regions can be reduced since the angle .theta.b0 between the projection and the lock hole is reduced. However, this has the disadvantage that the connection region is enlarged.
The present invention has taken the above situation into account and aims to provide a terminal which can be integrated by overlaying identically shaped terminals, which does not enlarge the connection region, and which is able to reduce the stress on the electrical wires in the integrated state.